Evacuation and sealing of refrigerator tubes



June 21, 1966 E. w. PALMER 3,256,672

EVACUATION AND SEALING OF REFRIGERATOR TUBES Filed Aug. 21, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

, FIG. 2

INVENTOR EARL W. PALMER ATTORNEYS June 21, 1966 E. w. PALMER EVACUATION AND SEALING OF REFRIGERATOR TUBES Filed Aug. 21, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EARL W. PALMER 22.16, MMMBMW ATTORNEYS June 21, 1966 E. w. PALMER EVACUATION AND SEALING OF REFRIGERATOR TUBES Filed Aug. 21, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. EARL W. PALMER I l ll SW14 l llll' I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,256,672 EVACUATION AND SEALING 0F REFRIGERATOR TUBES Earl W. Palmer, Watertown, Conn., assignor to Anaconda American Brass Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 219,814 3 Claims. (Cl. 53-88) The present invention relates to a method of and device for the evacuation and sealing of vessels and more particularly to the evacuation and sealing tubing, such as of refrigeration and air conditioning tubing. This ap plication is a continuation-in-part of my prior application Serial No. 61,657, filed October 10, 1960, now abandoned.

Tubing, to be useful as, for example, refrigeration or air conditioning tubing, must have an interior that is free from contaminants such asmoisture, grease, and dirt. If it is not, the operation of the refrigeration system will be impaired. For instance, dirt will obstruct the restricted valve apertures while moisture will turn to'ice and clog the passageways. Moreover, typical refrigerant gases such as Freon are corrosive in the presence of moisture; and corrosion will interfere with the proper functioning of the controls.

It is the present practice of the tubing industry to clean and dry the interior of tubing to be sold as refrigeration or air conditioning tubing and then to seal the open ends by caps to insure that the interior of the tubing remains clean and dry. Since these sealing caps are only frictionally secured to the ends of the tubing, it is not unusual for them to be blown off the tubing by an increase in pressure within the tube due to 'a change in atmospheric pressure or temperature during transitor storage. Also,

-it is not unusual for the caps to be knocked off during transit. This renders the tubing unacceptable as refrigeration or air conditioning tubing since the absence of the caps permits contamination of the interior of the tube. Should the tubing be cleansed and capped in warm humid weather, it is not unusual to find condensed water vapor in the tubing when it is subsequently uncapped under lower temperature conditions rendering the tubing unacceptable. Furthermore, ti t is not unknown for uncleansed tubing to be capped and sold as refrigeration or air conditioning tubing by tubing jobbers. Thus, the practice of sealing by simply capping, though necessary, has proved for the most part unsatisfactory. These difliculties are summed up in an editorial in The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Business, January 1960, vol. 17, No. 1, on page 53.

The present invention contemplates means for overcoming the above difficulties in the sealing of refri=gera-' tion and air conditioning tubing. The invention makes it possible for the manufacturer to positively assure the purchaser, and for the purchaser to positively assure himself, that the tubing has been properly cleansed and it is not merely ordinary tubing that has been capped without first having been cleansed. The present invention also makes it possible to minimize loss of the caps in transit or storage and the presence of water vapor in the tubing when unsealed.

In accordance with the present invention, the interior of the tube is thoroughly cleansed and evacuated. The ends of the tube are then sealed by sealing caps. The evacuation and the resultant subatmospheric pressure cause .the sealing caps to be held on the ends of the tube thereby lessening the possibility of the tubing becoming unsealed during transit or storage. Evacuation also prevents condensed water vapor from being present in the tubing since it removes substantially all moisture. The hiss of the inrush of air when an evacuated tube is unsealed provides a positive indication for the purchaser that the tubing was properly cleansed before sealing by the manufacturer. Finally, the practice of evacuating the tubing minimizes the instances of uncleansed tubing having been scaled by someone other than th manu facturer due to the special equipment required, thereby virtually guaranteeing the clean, dry tubing so necessary for refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. As a result of the reduced pressure within the tube due to the evacuation, atmospheric pressur outside the tube positively holds the seals on the tube; thus, no special clamp or other means for holding the seal on the end of the tube is required.

Broadly stated, one device for evacuating and sealing a vessel having a single unsealed open end is comprised of a housing having an evacuation chamber and an opening leading thereto to receive the portion of the vessel having the opening. Sealing means are carried by the housing to restrict entry of air into the evacuation chamber and into the open end of said vessel. Evacuating means are associated with the evacuation chamber whereby the chamber and concomitantly the interior of the vessel at least partially may be evacuated. Means are provided for selectively maintaining an opening in said vessel while said vessel is inserted in said housing during evacuation thereof, closing means are included for closing the open end of the vessel with a closure member after said evacuation thereof, and exposing means whereby said closed vessel may be exposed to atmospheric pressure so as to maintain the closure member on said vessel by atmospheric pressure.

One device capable of evacuating the tube and permitting its end to be sealed consists of a housing havingan opening to receive the tube. A sealing cap is first placed in this housing. After one end of the tube is sealed with a sealing cap, the other or open end of the tube is inserted in the opening of the housing. The interior of the housing and tube is isolated from the atmospher by a sealing gasket and then at least partially evacuated by a vacuum pump through a valve assembly communicating with the interior of the housing. The open end of the evacuated tube is sealed while the tube is evacuated by forcing the end of the evacuated tube into the sealing cap positioned within the housing. The interior of the housing is next opened to the atmosphere through the valve assembly and the sealed tube withdrawn. The sealing cap is securely held to the end of the tube by the pressure differential between the exterior and the evacuated interior of the sealed tube.

Another device capable of evacuating the tube and permitting its end to be sealed consists of a housing having an opening somewhat larger than the outside of the largest tube intended to be evacuated. The opening, intermediate the distance it extends into the housing, is reduced in size by a radial shoulder which forms an outer portion to receive an end portion of a tube and an inner portion forming an evacuation chamber. In order to evacuate and seal the tube, its ends are first sealed by caps, one sealing cap being of fusible material and having a central opening in its end through which the tube may be evacuated. The end of the tube with this sealingcap is inserted into the outer, tube-receiving portion of the housing. The evacuation chamber of the housing and the interior of the tube, which communicates therewith through the opening in the sealing cap, is isolated from the atmosphere by a sealing gasket positioned between the radial shoulder of the housing and the sealing cap. The interior of the housing and the tube are at least partially evacuated by a vacuum pump through a valve assembly communicating with the interior of the housing, after which the opening in the sealing cap is closed to seal the interior of the tube by melting and fusing together the surrounding portion of the sealing cap with a heated element and thereafter cooling the fused portion to solidify it. The interior of the housing is then opened to the atmosphere through the valve assembly and the sealed tube withdrawn. The sealing caps are securely held to the ends of the tube by the pressure differential between the exterior and the evacuated interior of the sealed tube.

In another device of the invention the housing is comprised of a bottom portion and a top portion, with the bottom and top portions being selectively movable to closed and opened positions such that said portions define the evacuation chamber in their closed position.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a view, partly in section, of one form of the device for evacuating and sealing tubing, the same being shown as applied to an end portion of a tube to be evacuated;

FIG. 2 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, of another form of the device for evacuating and sealing tubing;

FIG. 3 is a perspective of another embodiment of apparatus for evacuating and sealing tubing;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a section of the evacuation chamber of the apparatus of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the device for evacuating and sealing the tube includes a housing 1 of generally cylindrical shape having a closed end 2 and an open end 3 of a size and shape to receive an open end of a tube 4. When in use, the interior of the housing forms an evacuation chamber 6.

Communicating with the chamber 6 is an extension 7 of a valve housing 8. The valve housing also has an extension 9 having an opening communicating with the atmosphere and an extension 11 having an opening adapted to communicate with a vacuum pump 12 through a connecting line 13. Valve housing 8 has within it a conventional valve plug 14 having a longitudinally extending opening 14 communicating with the extension 7 and a radially extending opening 14" adapted, upon rotation, by means of a handle 16, selectively to communicate with the openings extending through the extensions 9 and 11.

Passing through the wall of the housing is a stop pin 17 which is adapted to be extended into the chamber 6 to a position to be engaged by the end of a tube 4 inserted into the housing and to limit the movement of the tube into the housing and thereby provide means for selectively maintaining an opening in the tube while the tube is inserted in the housing during evacuation thereof. A gasket 18 surrounds the stop pin and prevents air from the atmosphere from entering the chamber 6 through the stop pin opening. Positioned in the inner wall surface of the housing, between the stop pin and the open end 3, is a rectangular groove 21 which receives an O-ring 22 of a suitable resilient sealing material. The O-ring has an inside diameter slightly less than the outside diameter of a tube to be inserted into the chamber 6 to be evacuated, so that when it engages the wall of the tube, it seals the chamber of the housing against entry of air from the surrounding atmosphere.

In using the device of FIG. 1 to evacuate and seal a cleansed tube, a flanged sealing cap 26 for the open end of the tube is first placed in the housing with its base adjacent closed end 2 by forcing the cap past the resilient O-ring and sliding it past the withdrawn stop pin and the open extension 7 of the valve housing. The internal surface 27 of the flange of the sealing cap flares outwardly. The internal diameter of the mouth of the cap is greater than the external diameter of the tube to be evacuated, while the internal diameter of the base of the cap is substantially less than the external diameter of the tube, providing a flared surface to fit over and frictionally engage the end portion of the tube. Thus, by forcing the end of the tube into the flared flange of the cap, a secure airtight seal necessary to preserve the reduced pressure within the tube will be effected.

After the interior of tube 4 has been cleansed, a sealing cap identical to scaling cap 26 is forced over one of its ends to frictionally seal it. The other or open end of the tube is inserted into the housing, past the resilient O- ring to the stop pin, the O-ring isolating chamber 6 from the atmosphere. Next, valve handle 16 is rotated to position valve plug 14 in a manner to connectthe chamber through the extension 7 and the passageways of the valve plug to the extension 11 and the associated vacuum pump 12. The vacuum pump is then actuated to at least partially evacuate chamber 6 of the housing and the interior of tube 4. When the chamber and the interior of the tube have been evacuated to the desired extent, the stop pin 17 is withdrawn permitting the open end of the tube to be forced into sealing cap 26 to thereby seal the evacuated tube. After the tube has been scaled by the cap 26, the valve handle 16 of valve 14 is rotated to allow atmospheric air to enter chamber 6 through extensions 7 and 9. The difference in pressure between the atmosphere and the evacuated interior of the tube securely holds the sealing caps onto the ends of the tube. The evacuated and sealed tube is then withdrawn from housing 1.

In withdrawing the evacuated and sealed tube from the housing, a force tending to remove the sealing cap 26 from the end of the tube will be exerted by the engagement of the O-ring against the end of the flange of the sealing cap. This force is resisted and overcome by the difference in pressure within and without the tube which securely holds sealing cap 26 on the end of the tube. Thus, the O-ring will simply flex outwardly allowing the end of the tube with its sealing cap to be withdrawn from the housing. Should the end of the tube have been cut, careful deburring and smoothing of the cut end will, of course, be necessary before the end is wedged into the cap to effect the secure airtight seal. If the tube is cumbersome to handle, the housing may be pushed onto the tube farther to secure the cap it carries to the end of the tube, rather than to push the tube into the housing. Suitable adapters may be provided to enable this device to be used with tubes of different diameters.

In FIG. 2, an alternative device for evacuating and sealing the tube is shown. This device comprises a housing 31 having a chamber 32 in one end of a size and shape to receive one end of a cleansed tube 4. An inwardly-extending radial shoulder 33 defines the base of chamber 32. The base or closed end 31' of the housing has an evacuation chamber 34 extending inwardly from the center of radial shoulder 33. The diameter of the evacuation chamber is smaller than that of the smallest tube to be evacuated.

Communicating with the evacuation chamber is an extension 7' of a valve housing 8. The valve plug of the valve housing, which is identical to the valve of FIG. 1, may selectively connect the evacuation chamber either to a vacuum pump 12 through an extension 11' or to the atmosphere through an extension 9', in a manner as described above with respect to the valve of FIG. 1. Located in the radial shoulder 33, adjacent the evacuation chamber, is an annular groove 36, rectangular in cross section, in which is positioned an O-ring 37 similar to O-ring 22. The groove and O-ring are of a diameter smaller than the diameter of the smallest tube to be evacuated and sealed. Thus, tubes of different diameters having corresponding sealing caps may be sealed to the housing by the O-ring since its diameter is smaller than that of the smallest cap.

Passing through the base of the housing and into the evacuation chamber is a rod 38 which carries on its inner end a hemispherical head 39 having a concave inner face. A gasket 41 surrounding the rod 38 prevents air from the atmosphere from entering the evacuation chamber around the rod. A compression spring 42 which engages the base of the housing 31 biases the rod outwardly of the evacuation chamber. Within the evacuation chamber and around hemispherical head 39 is a conventional resistive heating element 43 held from the end wall of the housing by stops 44. The stops limit the outward movement of the resistive heating element under the biasing force of spring 42 and hold the hemispherical head in a predetermined stationary position. A source of electric power 46 is electrically connected by a switch and a conductor 47 to the resistive heating element 43. When the handle 48 of the switch is depressed, closing the switch, electric power is supplied to the resistive heating element to heat it. It is to be noted that the radial shoulder 33 and the resistive heating element 43 cooperate to provide means for selectively maintaining an opening in the tube while the tube is inserted in the housing during evacuation thereof.

In operating with the form of device shown in FIG. 2, one end of the cleansed tube is sealed by a sealing cap 51, identical to sealing cap 26. The other end of the tube is sealed by a sealing cap 52 having a hollow conical teat 53 of fusible material at the center of its base. The inner wall surface of the flange of sealing cap 52 flares outwardly the same as the inner wall surface of flange 27 of sealing cap 26 to securely engage and seal the end of tube 4'. After the respective ends of the cleansed tube have had sealing caps 51 and 52 applied to them, the end with sealing cap 52 is inserted into chamber 32 of the housing until the base of sealing cap 52 presses against the O- ring 37 to thereby seal evacuation chamber 34 against entry of air from the atmosphere. Next, the valve is positioned to connect vacuum pump 12' to evacuation chamber 34 and the vacuum pump is started to evacuate the evacuation chamber and the interior of tube 4 through hollow conical teat 53. When the interior of the tube has been evacuated to the desired extent, electric power is supplied to resistive heating element 43 by depressing switch handle 43 to close the switch and complete the circuit. This heats the resistive heating element and thereby heats by conduction the hemispherical head 39. When the hemispherical head has been heated to a temperature sufficiently high to melt and fuse together the hollow conical teat 53, rod 38 is forced inwardly, causing the concave interior of the heated hemispherical head to engage and fuse together the hollow conical teat. After the teat 53 has been fused and the tube thereby sealed, the hemispherical headis next moved back to engage resistive element 43 by a release of the inwardly urging force applied to rod 38. This allows the fused conical teat to cool and solidify. After the tube is sealed, handle 16' of valve 8' is rotated to permit air of the atmosphere to enter evacuation chamber 34 and break the vacuum therein. The surrounding atmospheric pressure opposing the vacuum Within the sealed tube, ensures that the caps will securely engage and be held against the ends of the tube. The cleansed, evacuated, and sealed tube is then withdraw from the housing.

Sealing caps 26, 51, and 52 may be formed of any material capable of withstanding the presure differential between the interior and exterior of the evacuated and sealed tube. While many such materials are satisfactory,

a thermoplastic material, such as polyethylene is preferred, especially for cap 52, the teat 53 of which must be fused, due to its fusibility at low temperatures.

If desired, rod 38 and its hemispherical head 39 may be replaced by a suitably shaped metal resistance element which is electrically heated when brought forward against the conical teat 53 of cap 52.

Also, while O-ring 37 is shown as engaging the base or end of cap 52, it may be alternatively positioned in the side wall of housing 31 to engage the side of cap 52 or the wall of the tube 4' at a point within the housing.

One advantage of the device of FIG. 2 over the device of FIG. 1 is that it may be used with tubes of different diameters while the device of FIG. 1 may conveniently be used only with tubes of substantially the same diameter. The device of FIG. 2 also permits the caps to be placed on both ends of the tube before the tube is evacuated.

Referring to FIGS. 3-6, another alternative embodiment of the device of the invention is shown in some detail. In FIG. 6, a sealing device is shown attached to a rack 61 which is constructed to carry a supply of tubes to be sealed. The rack 61 consists basically of a pair of longitudinal parallel supporting members 62 and 62 and several transverse supporting members 63 which extend laterally across the longitudinal supporting members 62 and 62'. Spaced from longitudinal supporting member 62' and extending parallel thereto is a third longitudinal supporting member 64 upon which a sealing device 60 is supported. Spaced along the third supporting member 64 are a plurality of tube supports 65 which serve to hold a tube in alignment when it is inserted into the sealing device 60. Extending laterally across the rack 61 adjacent the sealing device 60 is a vertically extending abutting member 66. The abutting member is included to provide a transverse member against which one end of the tubes may abut for proper alignment for feeding them individually into the sealing device 60. Extending between the sealing device 60 and the end portion of the transverse supporting member 63 is an elongated strip of felt 67 which is impregnated with petroleum jelly or a like lubricant such that as a tube is rolled off the rack and positioned in the sealing device 60, a marginal end portion 68 of the tube will become coated with a' film of petroleum jelly. The petroleum jelly serves both as a lubricant to assist in inserting a cap onto the end of the tube and as a sealant to help maintain the cap thereon.

The sealing device 60 in this embodiment is comprised essentially of a housing 70 having essentially the construction of a split die. The housing is composed of a top portion 71 and a bottom portion 72. A pivot shaft 73 is rigidly mounted to the bottom portion 72 by means of a pair of shaft supports 74, 74'. Roatably mounted on the shaft 73 are a pair of supports 75, 75 which are securely mounted to the top portion 71 thereby enabling the top portion 71 to be pivoted to an open position as shown in FIG. 4 and to a closed position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. An elongated semicylindrical bore 76 is formed in the top portion 71 of the housing 70. Similar semicylindrical bore 77 is formed in the bottom portion 72 of the housing 70. The bores 76 and 77 are constructed to be aligned when the housing 70 is in its closed position so as to define a substantially cylindrical evacuation chamber 78. By means of this split die housing 7 0, when the housing is in its open position as shown in FIG. 4 a tube can be rolled olf the rack 60 so that the end portion 65 of the tube is rolled over the impregnated felt 67 so as to be coated with a film of lubricant and is then simply rolled into the bottom bore 77 and the housing can then be closed.

Positioned within the housing 70 and particularly within the respective bores 76 and 77 are a pair of C-shaped resilient sealing members 79 and 80. These sealing members 79 and 80 are positioned within the housing 70 so as to form substantially O-shaped ring members when the housing is in its closed position. ,As shown the sealing members 79 and 80 are positioned within the housing adjacent an opening 81 from which a tube 82 extends out of the housing. The O-shaped rings which are defined by the sealing members 79 and 80 in their closed position have an inside diameter which is less than the outside diameter of the tube 82 so as to restrict entry of air into the evacuation chamber 78 from around the tube 82. Additionally, the sealing members-79 and 80 serve to align the tube 82 substantially concentrically within the evacuating chamber. A handle 83 is attached to and extends outwardly from the upper portion 71 of the housing 70 to provide means for opening and closing of the housing.

A plunger 85 extends within the evacuating chamber 78 of the housing 70 through an open end 86 which is formed in the housing opposite to open end 81. The plunger 85 is comprised of a substantially cylindrical tubular member having a small axial bore 87 formed therein. The plunger 85 is attached to a suitable toggle handle arrangement 88 at its end portion opposite to that end which extends into the evacuation chamber 78 and is reciprocal axially within the evacuation chamber 78. Mounted about the periphery of the plunger 85 along that portion which is positioned in and axially slidable within the chamber 78 is an annular sealing ring 89. This annular sealing ring 89 serves to restrict entry of air into the evacuation chamber 78 from around plunger 85.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a sealing cap 90 is in abutment with an end portion 91 of the plunger 85. This sealing cap 90 preferably has a tapered internal flange similar to that disclosed previously with respect to sealing cap 26. The sealing cap 90 is maintained in this abutting relationship with the end portion 91 of the plunger 85 by means of the axial bore 87 of the plunger which is operatively connected to the vacuum pump and thus equalizes the vacuum pressure on both sides of the cap and holds it fixed to the plunger. Thus, by holding the cap spaced from the end of the tube, the bore 87 with the corresponding vacuum pressure therein provides the means for selectively maintaining an opening in the tube while the tube is inserted in the housing during evacuation thereof.

Shown in FIG. 5, extending through the bottom portion 72 of the housing 70 and opening into the evacuation chamber 78 is an exhaust conduit 92. The exhaust conduit 92 is connected to exhaust piping 93 which has a meter 94 incorporated therein to indicate the amount of pressure in the pipe 82 in the evacuation chamber 78. As shown in FIG. 3, as well as FIG. 6, this pipe 93 is ultimately connected to a multicoil exhaust tube 95 which in turn is connected to a suitable vacuum pump 96 by means of a connecting pipe 97. Also shown connected' to the multicoil exhaust tube 95 is a small diameter flexibl e tube 98 which is mounted to communicate with the axial bore 87 of the plunger 85. It is by means of this flexible tubing 98 that sufiicient vacuum pressure is maintained in the bore 87 to maintain the cap 90 abutting against the plunger.

In operation, the tube 82 is rolled off the rack 60, over the felt strip 67 and into the bottom semicylindrical bore 77. The end of the tube 82 remote from the sealing device is then closed with a sealing cap similar to cap 90. An operator then closes the housing by means of the handle 83 so as to form the evacuating chamber 78. Air is substantially restricted from entry into the evacuating chamber by means ofthe sealing members 79 and 80 which surround a portion of the tube 82 and the O-shaped ring 89 which is mounted on the plunger 85. The vacuum pump 96, which can be continuously operated with .a sealing device as described, begins to evacuate the chamber 78 as well as the interior of the tube 82 once the housing is closed. As noted above, the sealing cap 90 will be maintained against the end portion 91 of the plunger 85 throughout this evacuating operation by means of the vacuum pressure in the bore 87. Once the meter 94 in- ,82. This capping of the tube 82 is of course somewhat facilitated because of the film of petroleum jelly which has been coated on the marginal portion 65 thereof. After the plunger has been brought fully close to the end of the tube 82 such that the cap has been firmly forced onto the end portion 65 thereof, the operator again grasps the handle 83 and opens the housing 70 so as to allow atmospheric pressure to contact the cap on the tube 82 so as to maintain the cap firmly positioned on the tube by means of the difference of pressure within the tube and the atmospheric pressure.

This embodiment of the device of'the invention offers certain advantages in that it permits the device to seal tubes of different lengths because of the multicoil exhaust tube and tubes of different diameters because of the ability to substitute split die housings of different sizes. The use of the pair' of annular split sealing gaskets 79 also contributes to the desirability of the device in that they serve to center the tube in the evacuating chamber 77 thereby permitting ease of inserting the cap 86 onto the endportion 65 of the tube 61.

It is to be understood that the evacuation of the tube need not proceed to substantially a complete vacuum; a reduced pressure adequate to secure the sealing caps to the ends of the tube and to minimize water vapor remaining within the tube is sufiicient. The presence of water vapor within the sealed tube may also be minimized by providing a dry atmosphere within the tube before evacuation.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction of the devices and the method herein described of evacuating the tubes without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for evacuating and sealing an elongated cylindrical tube having a single unsealed open end which comprises a housing having a top portion and a bottom portion, said top and bottom portions being pivotally mounted to move to an openposition for loading of the tube and to a closed position for evacuating and sealing of the tube, said top and bottom portions having elongated semi-cylindrical bores therein to be aligned in the closed position to define a substantially cylindrical evacuation chamber therein, said chamber having an opening leading axially into one end of said chamber through an end portion of the tube having the open end to be sealed, split sealing means mounted in said top and bottom portions and positioned to form a continuous seal about the tube in the closed position for restricting entry of air into the evacuation chamber around the tube and for maintaining said tube aligned in said chamber, evacuating means in communication with said evacuating chamber for creating a vacuum and exhausting the air within the tube to below atmospheric pressure, closure means axially slidable within the housing for insertion of the closure member on said tube after evacuation thereof, and an auxiliary evacuating outlet associated with said closure means for maintaining a closure in contact therewith spaced from said tube during evacuation thereof.

2. Apparatus for sealing tubes comprising in combination with the device as in claim 1 an adjustable rack for supporting a plurality of tubes to be sealed.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein a lubricating member is positioned adjacent said housing between said rack and said housing whereby tubes fed into said housing are lubricated along their marginal end portions.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Exaininer UNITED STATES PATENTS Middleton 5288 Sal-born et a1 53-88 X Podel 5388 Schmitt 53-97 X Brand 53--9 Pfieumer 22046 Billetter 53-88 X Jer-be 22046 Heger 53-22 Barnby 53--22 Chapman et a1. 53-22 Chaney 22046 FRANK BAILEY, Primary Examiner.

E. I. DRUMMOND, P. H. POHL, Examiners. 

1. A DEVICE FOR EVACUATING AND SEALING AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL TUBE HAVING A SINGLE UNSEALED OPEN END WHICH COMPRISES A HOUSING HAVING A TOP PORTION AND A BOTTOM PORTION, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO MOVE TO AN OPEN POSITION FOR LOADING OF THE TUBE AND TO A CLOSED POSITION FOR EVACUATING AND SEALING OF THE TUBE, SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS HAVING ELONGATED SEMI-CYLINDRICAL BORES THEREIN TO BE ALIGNED IN THE CLOSED POSITION TO DEFINE A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL EVACUATION CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID CHAMBER HAVING AN OPENING LEADING AXIALLY INTO ONE END OF SAID CHAMBER THROUGH AN END PORTION OF THE TUBE HAVING THE OPEN END TO BE SEALED, SPLIT SEALING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS AND POSITIONED TO FORM A CONTINUOUS SEAL ABOUT THE TUBE IN THE CLOSED POSITION FOR RESTRICTING ENTRY OF AIR INTO THE EVACUATION CHAMBER AROUND THE TUBE AND FOR MAINTAINING SAID TUBE ALIGNED IN SAID CHAMBER, EVACUATING MEANS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID EVACUATING CHAMBER FOR CREATING A VACUUM AND EXHAUSTING THE AIR WITHIN THE TUBE TO BELOW ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, CLOSURE MENS AXIALLY SLIDABLE WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR INSERTION OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER ON SAID TUBE AFTER EVACUATION THEREOF, AND AN AUXILIARY EVACUATING OUTLET ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CLOSURE MEAND FOR MAINTAINING A CLOSURE IN CONTACT THERWITH SPACED FROM SAID TUBE DURING EVACUATION THEREOF. 